Taiwan says US arms support serves American interests after Trump-Xi summit

The United States continues to provide arms to Taiwan, according to a senior Taiwanese diplomat, citing national interests in island defense and semiconductor production, according to Reuters. Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu made the remarks following the summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, where no major breakthroughs were reached on Taiwan or other contentious issues.

Xi had expressed his preference for Washington to maintain Beijing's stance against Taiwanese independence. Wu questioned whether concessions over Taiwan would serve U.S. interests, arguing that continued weapons sales and defense capabilities would protect Taiwan from Chinese control and maintain its crucial role in global technology supply chains.

The island is the primary producer of advanced chips used in artificial intelligence applications. A pending U.S. weapons package worth approximately $14 billion is currently on hold, with Trump yet to decide following the summit. Beijing had reportedly sought to halt arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. has approved the largest arms package on record for Taiwan in December, and Taiwan has maintained ongoing communication with Washington regarding the summit, seeking assurances of continued support.

U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue affirmed on Friday that the Trump administration's stance on Taiwan, as per the Taiwan Relations Act, remains unchanged. China views the island as its territory and has consistently opposed U.S. arms sales, while Taiwan rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.